Yarn-tension device



, May 22,1923. 1,456,074

A, M. PIGEON YARN TENSION DEVICE Filed Sept. 27. 1921 WITNESSESZiNVENTOR:

. H1501? ,M. Pi eon,

. 8W7 ra? ATTORNEYS Patented May 22, 1923.

rra @STATES ALBERT MI. IPIIG'IEON, OF NQRRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

YARN-TENSION nnvrcn.

Application filed September 27, 1921; Serial No. 503,484.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT M. PIGEON, a citizen of the United States,residing in Norristown, in the county of'Montgomery and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inYarn-Tension Devices, whereof the following is a specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to yarn tension devices useful generally inconnection with textile machinery, but more especially with knittingmachines in maintaining the am under constant tension in the course ofeedlan attempts have heretofore been made, especia ly in the case ofknitting machines, to maintain at all times, uniform tension upon theyarn with a view toward preventing lll'egil afities in the length ofwork produced. he devices employed to this end, while capable ofovercoming this difficulty to a certain extent, were however not whollyeflicient in attaining the real or desired obj ective. This inefficiencyI have found to be due to their incapacity to compensate pro 4 erly forvariations or fluctuations in t e drag-or resistance of the yarn as itis drawn from supply bobbins. Such drag or resistance may vary for manyreasons, amongst which the following may, by way of example, bementioned z'difl'erences in the quality or character of the yarn;contributory effects of atmospheric conditions or changes; differencesin the method or style of winding the cops or bobbins; or irregularitiesin the tness of the winding. L he paramount object of my invention is toovercome the difliculty above pointed out, and this I accomplish bycontrolling the degree of a tension separately. induced in the yarncompensatively in accordance with the magnitude of the drag orresistance offered in unwinding from the supply co-p or bobbin in such amanner that a constant resultant working tension is assured.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent fromthe detailed description which follows:

In the drawings, Fig. I is a front elevation of a yarn tension deviceconveniently illustrating my invention; and

Fig. II is for the most part a side elevation of the same as viewed fromthe right of Fi I, except for the cooperative tension dis's which havebeen shown in axial section so that their functioning may} be morereadily understood.

The several moving parts of the organization herein shown are carried orsupported by an L shaped bracket 1, which may be attached, in anyconvenient manner, to the machine whereto yarn is to be fed. In thepresent instance, I have illustrated the bracket 1 as being suspendedfrom the end of a horizontal arm 2, of a yarn guide tree, (not shown),such as ordinarily employed in connection with stocking knitters, and

secured by means of a screw 3 which passes through an appropriateopening in the end of the arm 2, and engages with the laterally turnedtop portion 4 of the bracket. The vertical arm 5 of the bracket has at apoint somewhat above the horizontal arm 6 an outstanding'boss 7 which isaxially bored for anchorage of a fixed stem 8. On this stem are mounted,with capacity for free rotation, a pair of opposed tension disks 9 and10, which as best seem in Fig. II, are dished in cross'section andy'ieldingly maintained in pressure contact with each other and the endof the boss 7, by means of a helical spring 11 which encircles the stem8. Coordinated with the tension disks 9 and 10 is a yarn guide eye 12,which is secured in the horizontal arm 6 of the bracket 1 below the saiddisks and a s ool-shaped reguide element. 13 located a ve said disksand. secured to the vertical arm 5 of the bracket, preferably near thetop of the latter. From Fig. I, it will be observed that the tensiondisks, the guide eye 12" and the reguide element 13 are disposed invertical alignment and also.m'ore especially from Fig. II that thesurface of the member 13 is co-ncaved with the centre of the curvaturelying in the lane of abutment of the disks 9 and 10, so t at the yarnindicated at Y in the course of being reversed in the direction of itstravel, as will be hereinafter more fully explained, is automaticallymaintained properly centered with respect to the disks.

In' order that the pressure between the disks may be 'compensativelyvaried in accordance with the drag or resistance induced in the yarn inbeing unwound from the sup ly cop or bobbin, so that a constant resutant' working tension may be secured under all conditions of feeding, Ihave provided for-cooperation with said disks, automatically operativeregulating means which I will now proceed to describe. This regu- 1.Projecting perpendicularly from one side of the element 15 1s acomparatively short lug 18, which serves as a mounting for a yarn eye19. From Fig. I, it will be observed that the element 15 is offset withrespect to the bracket 1 to permit registry of the movable yarn eye 19with the stationary guideeye 12 previously referred to. The element 15is held from displacement upon its fulcrum shaft 16, in the positionshown by a collar 20 adjacent its inner side, and a cotter pin 21 whichengages with the protrud ing end of the shaft 16. Integrally formed withthe collar 20 is an arm 22, whose outer end is bifurcated to affordstops 23 and 24, which are adapted, by cooperation with the lug 18, inlimiting the extent of free oscillation of the element 15.

The movements of the regulator element 15 are communicated to the spring11 through the instrumentality of the down turned, flattened end of afinger 25 which plays within a slot 26 at the outer extremity of themounting stem 8, and engages with the corresponding end of said spring.Operative in opposition to the pull of the yarn as it passes through theyarn eye 19, is a counterweight in the form of an integral lug 27 of theelement 15. Said lug, it will be noted, projects from the outer face ofthe element adjacent the periphery of the latter, and is disposed on theside of the fulcrum shaft 16 opposite to that of the yarn eye 19 in anangular position, and at a point above the level of the fulcrum so thatits leverage, and consequently its effectiveness increases gradually asthe element is rotated clockwise and vice versa when the element ismoved in the counterdirection. By this construction the counterweightserves to gradually augment the action of the spring as additionaltension is needed, and thus precludes the possibility at any time. ofthe spring becoming retro-active upon the same.

Adjustment of the counterweight of the element 15 may be had by shiftingof a collar 28 along a rod 29 extending in a direction diametrically ofthe element from the lug 27 clearly shown in Fig. II, as a result ofwhich the pull on the eye 19 is counterbalanced to a greater or lesserextent. By this provision, the regulating-means may be set to maintainany desired resultant working tension in the yarn in satisfying demandsof practice.

In operation, the yarn Y as it isdrawn from the supply cop or bobbin(not shown) is guided by the stationary eye 12 to pass tangentiallybetween the tension disks 9 'yarn continue and 10 at one side of themounting stem 8. After emergin from between the disks, the

5 in its upward travel and passes about the member 13, by which it isreguided to move downwardly and reeve tangentially between the tensiondisks 9 and 10 at the opposite side of the stem 8. Following the courseof the yarn still further,

it will be observed to pass again through the stationary guide eye 12and is thereafter diverted from a vertical path to pass horizontallythrough the movable eye 19 carried by the regulator element 15, fromwhence it is directly led to the needles of the knitting machine. Byreason of the several abrupt changes in the direction of the travel ofthe yarn and the uniform pressure exerted by the disks by the spring 11under the normal functioning of the regulator, the yarn will bemaintained at a constant even tension in the course of being fed to theconsuming machine. If, for any reason, the drag or resistance of theyarnin unwinding from the cop or bobbin should become heavier, the addedpull will, through the instrumentality of the movable eye 19, cause theregulator elem t 15 to beshifted counterclockwise with the res'ult thatthe finger 25 will be correspondingly moved to relieve the spring 11 inaccordance with the magnitude of the added pull.

sultant or working tension of the yarn as it is fed to the knittingmachine will be the same as under normal operation. Again, let it beassumed that the drag of the yarn in unwinding from thesupply cop orbobbin should for any reason become lighter, such relaxation in the,pull will allow the regulator element 15 to shift in a clockwise allneeded regulation of the tension of the spring may be controlled withinthe limit of free osclllation of the disk 15 imposed by the stops 23 and24. In normal operation, the lug 18 floats at a point approximatelymidway between said stops.

By controlling the tension of the yarn in accordance with my invention,I am enabled to produce .work which is absolutely uniform as to stitchlength regardless of the character of the knittin thus not onlyobviating losses due to irregu arities such as hereinbe- Such actionwill obviously cause diminution of the pressure between the disks 9 and10, so that the refore pointed out, but, in addition, efi'ectingconsiderable saving in the yarn.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A yarn tension device compris ng, means for applying tension to yarnwhile feeding the same to textile machines, means responsive tovariations in drag impressed upon the yarn controlling the tensioningmeans to compensatively vary the tension, and means to restrain saidresponsive means against spasmodic actuation.

2. A yarn tension device comprising, means for applying tension to amwhile feeding the same to textile machmes, means responsive tovariations in drag impressed upon the yarn controlling the tension meansto compensatively vary the tension, and a relatively heavy movablemember ada ted by virtue of its inertia to restrain sai responsive meansagainst spasmodic actuation.

3. A yarn tension device comprising a pair of opposed tension discs;between which yarn is passed enroute from a supply cop or bobbin to themachine being fed; a spring for maintaining yielding pressure betweensaid discs; in combination with regulating means adapted to respond tovariations or fluctuations in the resistance or drag of the yarn inunwinding from the supply cop or bobbin, including, a freely fulcrumedelement sufiiciently: heavy to be proof against spasmodic impulses; anattached eye through which the yarn is passed; an adjustablecounterweight operative in opposition to the pull upon said eye; and afinger whereby movements of said element are communicated to theaforesaid spring for the purpose of compensatively increasing ordecreasing the pressure between the tension discs to insure a constantresultant working tension during feeding'of the yarn.

4:. A yarn tension device comprising a pair of opposed tension discsbetween which yarn 1s passed enroute from a supply cop or bob- I bin tothe machine being fed; a spring for maintaining yielding pressurebetween said discs; in combination with regulating means adapted torespond to variations or fluctuations in the resistance or drag of theam in unwinding from the supply cop or bo bin including, a circularelement capable of freely oscillating about its own axis, andsufliciently heavy to be proof against spasmodic impulses; stops forlimiting the extent of free oscillation of said element; a guide eye forthe yarn attached to the element at one side of its fulcrum; acounterweight, adapted to be operative in opposition to said guide eye,attached to the element at the opposite side of its fulcrum and disposedin an angular osition above the level of the fulcrum; and a fingerwhereby the movements of the element are communicated to the aforesaidspring for the purpose of compensatively increasing or decreasing thepressure between the tension disc so as to insure a constant resultantworking tension during the feeding of the yarn.

5. A yarn tension device comprising a pair of opposed tension discs;means located beyond said discs whereby the yarn, after having passedtangentially between the discs at one side, is reversed in the directionof its travel and reguided to repass in a like manner between the discsat the opposite side; in combination with resilient means or maintainingyielding pressure between said discs; and regulating means coordinatedwith the aforesaid resilient means for varying the pressure between saiddiscs compensatively in accordance with variations or fluctuations inthe resistance or drag offered in unwinding from the su ply cop orbobbin to insure a constant resultant working tension during feeding ofthe yarn.

6. A yarn tension device comprising a pair of opposed tension discsbetween which the yarn is passed, said discs being mounted for freerotation upon a fixed supporting stem; a stationary guide eye located toone .side of said discs in the plane of abutment of the latter; areguide element located at a point at the opposite side of said tensiondiscs whereby the yarn, after having been guided through the aforesaidstationary guide eye and between the discs at one side is reguided topass in a like manner between the discs at the opposite side and thenagain through the stationary guide eye; and a spring for maintainingyielding pressure between said tension discs; in combination withregulating means coordinated with the aforesaid spring for varyingpressure between said discs compensatively in accordance with the variations or fluctuations in the resistance or dragoffered in unwindingfrom, a supply cop or bobbin, to insure constant resultant workingtensionduring feeding of the yarn.

7. A yarn tension device comprising an L shaped supporting bracket; apair of opposed discs between which yarn is passed, said discs beingmounted for free rotation upon a stem projecting horizontallyfrom thevertical arm of said bracket; a stationary guide eye secured in thehorizontal arm of the bracket below said discs in the plane of abutmentof the latter; a reguide element secured to the vertical arm of saidbracket at a point above said ten'sion discs, whereby the yarn, afterhaving been guided through the aforesaid stationary guide eye andbetween the discs at one side, is reguided to repass in a like mannerbetween'the discs at the opposite side and then again through saidstationary guide eye; a spring for maintaining yielding pressure betweensaid tension discs; in combination with a regulator element adapted torespond to variations or fluctuations in the resistance or drag of theyarn in unwinding from a supply cop or bobbin including: a circularelement adapted to oscillate freely abouta'horizontal axle shaftextending laterally from the end of the horizontal arm of theaforesaidbracket, said element being sufficiently heavy to be proof againstspasmodic impulses; an auxiliary guide eye attached to the element atone side of its fulcrum, and through which the yarn is passed enroutefrom the stationary guide eye .to the machine being fed; a counterweightadapted to be operative in opposition to the pull upon the auxiliaryguide eye, said counterweight being carried by the element at the opposite side of its fulcrum and disposed in an angular position above thelevel of the ful- 0mm; and a finger whereby movements of the disc arecommunicated to the aforesaid spring for the purpose of compensativelyincreasing or decreasing the pressure between the tension discs toinsure a constant,

means for applying tension to yarn While feeding the same to textilemachines, means responsive to variations in drag impressed upon the yarncontrolling the tensioning means to compensatively vary the tension, andmeans operable by inertia to restrain said responsivev means againstspasmodicactuation.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, this 15th day of September, 1921.

ALBERT M. PIGEON.

Witnesses JAMES H. BELL, E. L. FULLERTON.

